Buyo
by Initial A
Summary: {ONE-SHOT} InuYasha comes to drag Kagome back to the feudal era, but finds her sobbing hysterically. What has happened to Buyo?


_**Buyo**_

_**By: Initial A**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, but I have a nice slipper that I smack people with when they don't review!**_

_**Author's Notes: I'm writing this in memory of my own belovedcat, Stardust, who died yesterday, 4-27-05. Kagome will be going through a lot of what I did yesterday, and will continue to feel for a while. Most of this is true, only set in the InuYasha world. I hope you like it.

* * *

**_

InuYasha slid Kagome's window open, letting the wind and the smell of the coming storm fly into her room. "Kagome! You've been here long enough; we've got work to do—"

The scent of tears hit him like a tsunami; Kagome's room reeked of it. He looked around and found her sobbing into her pillow. "Kagome?"

"Go away, InuYasha…" Her muffled voice ordered.

As usual, he didn't listen, and took a step closer to her. "Come on, this is no time to be crying over something silly. There's a shard rumor in Katamura Village!"

Kagome sat up, her eyes, red and puffy from weeping, blazing in fury. "InuYasha, you're such an insensitive jerk! Sit!"

"What was that for!" The now-grounded hanyou demanded to know.

"It's not silly! You're such a jerk!" Sheflopped back onto her pillow.

Moments later, InuYasha got up and glared at her. "Fine, I'll play along. Before I drag your ass back to my time, why are you crying?"

Kagome turned her head so her face wasn't buried into the pillow. Tears fell in small streams down her slightly puffy face. "Buyo… Buyo died, InuYasha…"

The hanyou blinked, then felt guilty for being mean. He knew Kagome had loved that fat cat like crazy; and he'd never say it out loud, but he was slightly fond of the animal himself. "Kagome, I'm sorry…"

She didn't reply, but started to sob again, as distant thunder rolled outside. The guilt deepened. InuYasha sat down next to her and, rather hesitantly, placed his hand on her back, a small attempt to comfort her. Suddenly, Kagome was up and sobbing onto his shoulder, leaving InuYasha surprised and wondering how she'd moved so fast. He awkwardly put his arms around her in a hug, and pulled her close. She adjusted accordingly, and tightened her hold around his neck. "I miss him, InuYasha…"

"I'm really sorry, Kagome…" He replied softly, stroking her hair.

Kagome's ragged breathing was hard on his ears; he hated it when she cried, especially when he couldn't do anything to make it all better. He held her and stroked her hair, trying to comfort her as best as he could. "Kagome, can I ask you how he died?"

She shifted a little, and rested her head against his shoulder. "I… I don't know…" She said honestly, her voice a little hoarse. "I came home from school… and he was just lying there on the walkway…"

Tears came again and fell silently down her face. InuYasha carefully wiped them away with his thumb and waited for her to go on. "I thought, you know, that he was napping on the warm tiles… I went over to pick him up, and I saw all the blood…" She choked back a sob, and InuYasha hugged her even tighter. She sniffed and finished, "It looked like it was coming from his mouth, so I don't know if he ate something that hurt him or what… InuYasha, it was horrible, putting him in a box like I did, I couldn't stand to bury him just yet…"

InuYasha held her where she was, and let her cry. Soon she started talking again. "For a while there, I thought I had everything under control. I had stopped crying for a little bit, and I was calming down some… I went downstairs to get something to eat, and then I saw his food dishes… I just lost it… InuYasha, it hurt so, so much to empty those dishes, to put them in the sink… He was always hungry, and put up such a fuss when you messed with his dishes… I hoped it wasn't true, that I'd hear him meowing at me to give back his food and water, but when I didn't hear him, I just started to cry all over again… I want him back, InuYasha, I don't want it to be true!"

He couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't hurt her more, except, "I'm so sorry, Kagome, I really am. I know you loved that cat like crazy…"

She sniffed and nodded against him, content just to have him listening. He thought about something. "Where's your family?"

"Souta won this prize from a city-wide school contest, and they're in Kyoto for the national competition. I couldn't miss school anymore than I have…" Kagome said sadly. "They don't even know…"

InuYasha stood up, shifting his hold on her to be bridal-style. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Buyo's spirit won't truly be at rest until we bury his mortal body. It's the truth!" InuYasha insisted, misunderstanding the shock on Kagome's face.

"No, I know that… I just never knew you to know religious practices…" She said, feeling a little numb.

"Keh! May I remind you that we travel with a Buddhist monk?"

Kagome didn't reply, and InuYasha felt a twinge of guilt again for his tone. He carried her downstairs, and gently set her down. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along outside, into the humid air. "Where?" He asked.

Kagome got what he meant. "I think… next to the well house…" She said quietly. "Buyo… he's the real reason we met, InuYasha… If he hadn't gotten in there, I'd never've gone in there… I have him to thank for meeting you."

InuYasha nodded, and gave her hand a squeeze before walking over to the small garden next to the well house. Thunder boomed, closer now, as he started digging, using his hands only.

Kagome was shocked at first, but managed a small, watery, trembling smile, before going to fetch the box that she'd put her beloved cat into.

When she came back, InuYasha had a fairly good-sized hole dug, and was trying to get the dirt out from under his claws. When he saw her, he immediately stopped, and tried not to look embarrassed for being caught cleaning his claws. Kagome smiled weakly, and knelt, uncovering the box. InuYasha fought the urge to cover his sensitive nose at the stench of old death, carried to him faster by the wind.

Kagome picked her cat's body up, and gently lowered it into the hole. A few tears leaked from her eyes as she murmured a prayer for well-being and happiness in the next life. InuYasha watched her from behind silently. Kagome, her hair hiding her face from view, slowly started to fill the hole back up, scooping the dirt from the pile over the plump cat's body.

When it was filled, she stood, and InuYasha put a hand on her shoulder. Kagome looked at the fresh grave, and then bowed. "Thank you, Buyo…"

That done, she let InuYasha lead her back into the house, as thunder boomed over head and the rain started to fall.

* * *

**_((Wow… I wasn't expecting it to be that hard to write… Thanks for reading, and please review. ♥Initial A))_**


End file.
